Entertainment
Creed’s Scott Stapp takes us backstage from the ’99 summer tour
It’s been almost 27 years since Creed released their debut album My own prison, but the rock band is enjoying a well-deserved revival. Now the band is on the road again for the Summer of ’99 tour – and singer Scott Stapp gives Us a glimpse into life behind the scenes.
According to Stapp, 50, every morning leading up to a show later that evening involves a strict routine that involves using his voice “as little as possible,” the Grammy winner – who has also released four solo albums, including 2024’s. Higher power – told Us. “I’m an early bird [so] I do a daily workout, check on my work and the kids via email and text.
In the afternoon the band settles into the venue, does a sound check and draws up the set list for that evening. At that point, “things go from peaceful to warp speed,” Stapp said, noting that he looks for a private place to do vocal warm-ups, which sound “like herding goats, loud.”
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The band (Stapp, guitarist Mark Tremontidrummer Scott Phillipsand bassist Brian Marshall) settles into their dressing room before taking the stage. And while some musicians are notorious for going above and beyond their demands, Stapp doesn’t ask for much: “I need a steady supply of my favorite mocktail – warm water, lemon and a ton of manuka honey – and healthy, high-protein snacks. ”
As for how he prefers to find his home base for the day, Stapp says this is what most fans would expect. “Chill lighting – because going from a bright room to a dark, atmospheric stage is a strange transition – and comfortable couches, because backstage is where a lot of new ideas are tried out and where we hang out with our families,” he said. Another plus? “Clean bathrooms!”
His one must-have? “When it’s football season, I need a TV!”
Just before Creed heads out to perform, Stapp makes sure he gets into the right headspace. “It’s about going from a meditative place to the most active, energetic level,” he explained. “We want everyone to leave the show as exhausted as we are.”
While each of Creed’s songs is meaningful to the singer, he looks forward to performing “With Arms Wide Open” for the audience every night. “It always takes me back to becoming a father and the love and excitement I felt then, and with the arrival of each of my other three children, and again with my six-month-old grandson,” the father of four – who shares Jagger, 25, with ex Hilarie Burnsand Milan, 17, Daniel, 13, and Anthony, 9, with ex Jaclyn Step – shared.
“Wanting to be the father they deserve has literally changed my life and I feel that more deeply every day,” he continued. “Now I see how many other parents have passed it on to their own children. I can’t even describe what it feels like to sing that song in front of an audience that now spans three generations.”
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Although Creed will make stops in Toronto, Nashville and Tampa with 3 Doors Down and Daughtry for the Summer of ’99 tour, it’s unlikely that anything will top the Rome, New York performance in 1999 – for a few reasons.
“I was a big fan of the poetic writing of The Doors and Jim Morrison, so when Robby Krieger of The Doors played with us at Woodstock ’99, it was a dream come true,” Stapp recalled of the infamous festival headlined by Korn, Bush and Red Hot Chili Peppers. “That led to an invitation to front The Doors during VH1 Storytellerswhich for me was the next level.”
Unfortunately, “Woodstock ’99 is [also] the craziest concert experience, considering how it ended after we left,” he said Us. “The day started off as a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy – and turned into a nightmare.”
Tickets for the Summer of ’99 tour are available now
